Saxophonist Alison Shearer Performs Live

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Saxophonist Alison Shearer Performs Live"

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Alison Shearer (saxophonist, composer)
Date: October 24, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this vibrant episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart welcomes New York-based saxophonist and composer Alison Shearer for an in-studio performance and a revealing conversation. The episode centers on Shearer's newly released second album, In the Garden, offering listeners a blend of live music, creative insights, and stories of artistic evolution and family legacy. The tone is warm, engaging, and ripe with the cultural enthusiasm emblematic of New York City.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Live Performance and Musical Inspiration

• Opening and Live Performance
  • Alison Shearer kicks off the session with a live performance of “Liberty Market,” accompanied by her quartet (01:11–05:39).
  • She describes the song as being inspired by a marketplace she visited in Lahore, Pakistan (00:56).

“Liberty Market is the opening track off of In the Garden. It gets its name from a marketplace that I visited while on tour in Pakistan, in Lahore. So this is inspired by that place.”
— Alison Shearer (00:56)

2. Musical Journey and Instruments

• On Musical Beginnings and Instrument Choice
  • Shearer started with recorder and flute in elementary school, later discovering jazz at 13, and then picked up saxophones (06:20).
  • She recalls her first jazz record, My Favorite Things by John Coltrane, as transformative (06:20–06:44).

“I picked up the flute in elementary school, started playing classical music primarily, and then when I was about 13, was introduced to jazz. My first record was My Favorite Things by the wonderful John Coltrane.”
— Alison Shearer (06:20)

• Realization and Career Decision
  • Shearer expresses gratitude for discovering her calling early and describes music as something that “chooses people” (06:48).

“I think music, I think it kind of chooses people sometimes... I think I’ve known since I was maybe 10.”
— Alison Shearer (06:48)

3. Composing and Creative Process

• Start of Composing
  • Composing wasn’t immediate; Shearer began writing music in college and became fully immersed in her late 20s (07:16).
• Comparison: Performing vs. Composing
  • Describes composing as a quest for something elusive, a companion activity to running during the pandemic, and distinct from the immediate nature of live performance (07:38–08:34).
• Handling Creative Blocks
  • Shearer emphasizes stepping away to gain perspective and describes the unpredictability of the writing process—some songs flow in an hour, others require wrestling (08:38–09:04).

4. Growth Between First and Second Albums

• Lessons from Album #1
  • Her debut, View from Above, was guest-laden; for her sophomore release, she wanted an intimate, cohesive sound with her quartet (09:16–10:04).
• Influences
  • Credits albums by drummer Nate Smith and Kean Harold for inspiring her conceptual approach to album structure.

“With this record, I really wanted to go inside and just feature the quartet.”
— Alison Shearer (09:47)

5. Second Live Performance: “In the Garden”

• Features an improvised bass intro by bandmate Marty Kenny (10:09–14:09).

6. Recording Process

• Why Record Live to Tape?
  • Shares the unique opportunity to record live to tape thanks to Scott Linder and Pinch Records, calling it a rare and energizing process (14:38–15:14).

“I don’t think I ever could have afforded to do a week live to tape. But we got that opportunity, and why not take it?”
— Alison Shearer (14:43)

7. Sound Choices: Acoustic vs. Electric

• Emotional Core Dictates Sound
  • Shearer lets emotional tone and groove of the song determine instrumentation rather than a strict divide between acoustic and electric (15:30–16:09).

“Every song comes from a very specific emotional place, and a lot of it’s groove oriented.”
— Alison Shearer (15:30)

8. Teaching and Musical Education

• Teaching Philosophy
  • Shearer teaches middle and high school students, enjoying the formative phase when teenagers “become themselves” (16:16–16:42).
  • Discusses adapting teaching based on age groups, channeling the abundant energy of young students (16:45–17:07).

9. Flute and Influences

• Flute Heroes
  • Names Hubert Laws and James Galway as major inspirations; expresses fascination with Indian music and Bansuri flute tradition (17:12–17:45).

10. Family Legacy and Artistic Heritage

• John Shear: A Pioneering Photographer
  • Alison’s father, John Shear, was the second Black staff photographer at Look Magazine after Gordon Parks and captured the iconic JFK Jr. funeral photo (17:52–18:55).
  • Unique backstory: John Shear won a Scholastic Photo Competition, which led to professional opportunities at a young age.

“When my dad was... Gordon Parks was a mentor. And when he was a young teenager, he entered the Scholastic Photo Competition. And it was blind adjudication. And he won first, second, and third in every category, which was kind of unheard of.”
— Alison Shearer (18:08)

11. Third Live Performance: “Treehouse”

• The final performance of the episode features Shearer on flute (19:14–24:02).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Relationship Between Composing and Running:

  “That relationship between writing music, exporting a MIDI file, listening and running, I fell in love with that relationship.”
  — Alison Shearer (07:58)

• On Teaching Young Students:

  “If they're really, like, rowdy, I get them... ‘If you can just sit through the next 10 minutes, then you guys can battle each other.’ And that kind of channeling the energy that way is helpful.”
  — Alison Shearer (16:49)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Introduction & “Liberty Market” Performance: 00:09–05:39
• Influences and Early Musical Journey: 06:16–06:44
• On Deciding to Become a Musician: 06:44–06:48
• Composing, Creative Process, and Stuck Moments: 07:13–09:04
• Growth Between First and Second Albums: 09:11–10:04
• “In the Garden” Performance: 10:09–14:09
• Recording Live to Tape: 14:38–15:14
• Choosing Instrumentation: 15:14–16:09
• Teaching: 16:10–17:07
• Flute and Classical/Jazz Influences: 17:12–17:45
• Family Photography Legacy: 17:52–18:55
• Third Live Performance (“Treehouse”): 19:14–24:02

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Final Notes

This episode is a lively, insightful, and musical exploration of Alison Shearer's creative world. From her eclectic inspirations in jazz and world music to her commitment to education and the rich cultural influence of her family, Shearer offers listeners both vibrant performances and engaging stories. The conversation feels uniquely New York—layered with artistic dedication, open curiosity, and the energy of live music.

Transcript

[A]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Alison Shear is a New York based composer. She's also a multi instrumentalist. As you'll hear in a minute, I'm looking at Alison right now with a trio of instruments, an alto saxophone, a soprano sax and a flute. Because she's going to perform live from her new album. The album is called in the Garden. Released earlier this month. It is her second album. She's here with me right now with her band to perform live. Heads up. Alison has a release party show next Thursday, October 30th at New Blue at 1:51 in the East Village at 7:00pm Hi, Alison.

[B]

Hi, Alison.

[A]

So the first thing we're going to hear. Hi Allison. Hi, Allison. We're going to hear Liberty Market. Tell me a little bit about Liberty Market.

[B]

So Liberty Market is the opening track off of in the Garden, the album you just mentioned. It gets its name from a marketplace that I visited while on tour in Pakistan, in Lahore. So this is inspired by that place. Here we go.

[A]

Here we go.

[B]

Ram Sa Sam.

[A]

That was Alison Shear and her band performing her song Liberty Market live in our studio. Her new album is called in the Garden. If you want to catch Alison live, she's having an album release party show on October 30th at New Blue 151. That's in the East Village. The show is at 7pm before we go any further, would you introduce your band?

[B]

Absolutely. On the keys and piano, we have Christian Lee. And Christian on the bass, Marty. Kenny.

[A]

Hey, Marty.

[B]

And on drums, Horace Phillips.

[A]

Hey, nice to meet you. So I see a soprano sax, an alto sax and a flute.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Which instrument came first in your musical education?

[B]

So flute was my first instrument. Really before that recorder, you know, starting in maybe second grade. But yeah, I picked up the flute in elementary school, started playing classical music primarily, and then when I was about 13, was introduced to jazz. My first record was My Favorite Things by the wonderful John Coltrane. And then alto and then soprano.

[A]

When did you realize I'm good at this and I'm going to pursue it.

[B]

As a career, man, you know, I feel lucky. I think music, I think it kind of chooses people sometimes. I think I think I've known since I was maybe 10. I think it fundamentally just calms my nervous system, you know, And I fell in love with it immediately. I enjoyed school in general. So, you know, other things are possible. But I feel very fortunate that I've known for a long time that this is what I want to do.

[A]

When you start did you start writing right away?

[B]

No, actually, I didn't really begin composing until. Until college. I was, you know, I studied performer, a student. I was at the Manhattan School of Music pre college, in high school, on the weekends, but didn't really get into composition until maybe my late 20s.

[A]

What do you like about composition?

[B]

I think that fundamentally, you know, performing and composing are related, but. But also very different. I think with compose, with. With performing, I think so much of it is. Is being in the moment. And even if things get messed up or flubbed, like, you have to stay centered and be present, right? That's part of the. Of with composing. It's. You're looking for something, and I love. I love that quest, you know, and it's. You always know when something's not quite right, but then you sort of find it, and it's almost like it's been there kind of waiting for you. I also love the relationship. I got really into running during the pandemic. Oh, almost didn't you know, I've lived in Brooklyn since 2006 or in New York since 2006, and I feel like I wasn't fully aware of the parks until the pandemic and got into running. And that relationship between writing music, exporting a MIDI file, listening and running, I fell in love with that relationship.

[A]

Oh, that's so interesting. What do you do when you get.

[C]

Stuck in your writing?

[B]

You have to get outside or just leave the space, you know, and sometimes, you know, sometimes songs come very quickly, and that's often the flute tune that we're gonna play. I think I wrote in about an hour, which is a good thing. And then sometimes you wrestle with the song, and that's part of it too, you know.

[C]

My guest is saxophonist and composer Alison Shear. She's got a new album out. It's called in the Garden. This is your second album?

[B]

It is.

[C]

What did you learn from the first album that you used on your second album?

[B]

Ah, that's a great question. I very much like to compose for the record. I mean, I know this is just my second, but I love albums that really take you on a journey. I'm a huge fan of drummer Nate Smith. I love his Kinfolk records. I loved Kean Harold's record Traveling Wayfarer, and where it's not just, you know, there's also a beauty in, like, the ECM records, where everything is of a vibe. But I like sort of placing compositions as they would go as a collection. And I felt really, I liked how that came across with View from above was my first record. That record had a number of special guests. We had a cellist, trumpet player, five singers in total. With this record, I really wanted to go inside and just. Just feature the quartet, which is what we did.

[C]

Well, let's hear the title track, in the Garden. What are we going to hear first?

[B]

Yeah, this is in the Garden. It's going to feature a nice improvised bass intro by Marty Kenny.

[C]

Let's do it.

[A]

We'll have more with Alison Shear after a quick break.

[C]

This is all of sudden A.

[A]

You are listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest is saxophonist and composer Alison Shear. She's just released a new album this month. It's called in the Garden. I read that you recorded this album entirely live to tape.

[B]

We did. Oof. I know.

[A]

Why did you decide to go with that route?

[B]

Well, I want to just give a quick shout out to Scott Linder and his new label, Pinch Records out of Brooklyn. Scott reached out to me about two years ago asking if I wanted to do this record. They're a new label, and I think one of the greatest gifts you can give an artist is the gift of time and opportunity. It's just like an honor when someone asks you to make something. And I don't think I ever could have afforded to do a week live to tape. But we got that opportunity, and why not take it? And yeah, it was a great experience.

[A]

On different songs, you switch between sort of an electric and an acoustic sound. Sometimes you have a synth keyboard, other times a piano. How do you decide when a song what it's gonna sound like? Whether it's gonna be an acoustic song or whether it's gonna be an electric song?

[B]

Yeah, it's funny, I don't actually usually think of those two as the differentiating factors. I think it's. I think every song comes from a very specific emotional place, and a lot of it's groove oriented, you know.

[C]

Groove oriented?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. The first song was, you know, it has these kind of layered Liberty Market. The first one we played has these layers of seven and sort of four over seven. And on that, there's both a Nord and a prophet. And that's kind of the sound world. Piano felt right for the last one. It's a softer ballad. And I think depending on the. Where the emotions sit for the song sort of dictates what the instrumentation should be.

[A]

Your answer made me realize what I want to talk about later is that you teach.

[B]

Yes, I do. I do teach.

[A]

What age kids do you typically Teach.

[B]

It ranges. I love middle school kids. I love that sort of 13 to 15, kind of just really becoming yourself. And high school kids, I've taught both at the Lincoln Center Jazz Academy and I've taught at Jazz House kids, and I've taught privately. I really enjoy sharing knowledge with kids.

[C]

What is it they want to know? What do kids want to know when they're learning an instrument?

[B]

Oh, man, it depends on the age group. You know, little kids just want to get a sound and then they. And then they play so loudly. And sometimes if they. If they're really, like, rowdy, I get them. Okay. If you can just sit through the next 10 minutes, then you guys can battle each other. And that kind of channeling the energy that way is helpful. Yeah, I think every kid wants something different.

[A]

You're holding your flute. You're holding your flute.

[C]

Who's your favorite flautist?

[B]

Oh, wow. Hubert Laws, probably. As I said earlier, I. I also come from a classical background and, oh, James Galway was a hero, you know, in the classical flute tradition is so deep. And. And I'd like to learn more. I play and I play more and more Indian music. I play in Red Berat and am interested in learning more about the Bansuri tradition. That's interesting as that. Yeah. So I think always finding new people. But Hubert Laws is the OG for.

[C]

People who are saying, I know that last name. I'm pretty sure I know who this woman's father was. Your father was John Shear?

[B]

He was. Yes, yes.

[C]

He was the second black staff photographer at look magazine after Gordon Parks.

[B]

Yeah, look and Life magazine.

[A]

Look and Life.

[C]

And people recognize the picture. I think most people recognize of him taking a picture of John Kennedy Jr. At the funeral.

[B]

Yeah. There's a crazy. There's a wild story behind that photo. I'll keep it short, but my. When my dad was. Gordon Parks was a mentor. And when he was a young teenager, he entered the Scholastic Photo Competition. And it was blind adjudication. And he won first, second, and third in every category, which was kind of unheard of. What's now the Apple store at Grand Central used to be an art gallery. And so my dad had a solo show. He was probably like 16 years old. And the editor for Life came. Fast forward, a couple months later, John F. Kennedy was assassinated. And so my dad was invited to come as his assistant, climbed up the scaffolding, got this incredible angle because he's a kid, no one's looking at him, and got the angle that then that photo ran on the COVID of life.

[C]

Oh my gosh.

[B]

He used to hate it cause it was overexposed. But because of that, you can see Jackie O's face behind her veil.

[C]

Oh, that is an amazing story. It's an amazing family story for you to have as well.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you.

[C]

I'm speaking to Alison Shear. Her new album is in the Garden. All right, she's holding her flute. What are we gonna listen to?

[B]

This is Treehouse. Bembae tune Treehouse It.

[A]

That was saxophonist and composer Alison Shear. The name of the album is in the Garden. Thanks to Alison and her band for joining us. Thank you so much.

[B]

Thank you so much for having us.

[A]

Yes, I'm Alison Stewart. I appreciate you listening and I appreciate you. I will meet you back here next time.

[D]

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